Million bells, such as Superbells Cherry Star (Callibrachoa) trails nicely from hanging baskets, window boxes and other containers. Photo courtesy Proven Winners
This time of year, gardeners scour mail order and online retailers’ seed and nursery catalogs for the latest and greatest new plants for their landscapes.
And plantsmen have been breeding annuals, perennials and more to satisfy the hunt. Most of these plants also can be found in garden centers. Here are a few to consider:
Annuals
Look for improved cultivars of million bells (Calibrachoa), including Catwalk Lipstick Pink from Hort Couture and Proven Winners’ Superbells Blackberry Punch and Cherry Star. Breeders have added contrasting veining, colored centers or stripes in these trailing plants. They’ve also made the flowers larger.
Ball Horticulture’s ‘Bonanza Deep Orange’ marigolds (Tagetes) out performed any I’ve ever trialed, showing incredible stamina during the hot, dry summer last year. Spider mites, a frequent pest of marigolds, did not seem to notice them.
Perennials
Innocence red hot poker has a bit more staying power in hot weather than previous cultivars. Photo courtesy Blooms of Bressingham North America
Breeders of Christmas and Lenten roses (Helleborus) have improved these shade-lovers that bloom in early winter or spring. Newer cultivars have flowers that are more upward rather than downward facing, making them even showier. Look for spring blooming plants in the Thriller and Shade series, such as Ice Follies and Plum Shades or winter bloomers in the Gold Series.
Red hot pokers (Kniphofia) are being improved by at least two breeders, Terra Nova Nurseries and Blooms of Bressingham. This favorite plant for sunny English gardens suffers in our hot, humid weather, petering out as soon as summer arrives after just a week or two of blooms. But newer ones, ‘Bressingham Comet’ or ‘Innocence’ are able to withstand the weather. The Popsicle series rebloom, but they are not winter hardy here, so consider them as a long-blooming annual in our climate.
Shrubs
Cool Splash (Diervilla) is a native honeysuckle shrub with clean, variegated foliage making it a good substitute for variegated dogwoods. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
If you’re looking for an alternative to variegated dogwood shrubs (Cornus alba), consider Cool Splash bush honeysuckle (Diervilla sessifolia), which has beautiful creamy white and deep green leaves that stay clean and fresh in shade to part sun area. Yellow, slightly fragrant flowers are insignificant.
I think the Kniphofias are getting better and better for certain. I hope they keep some of them on the tall side. With Callibrachoas I still find them erratic in performance so far for me. BUT, I have not grown them all that many times. I definitely want to explore more.